The Orion spacecraft successfully entered the area of lunar gravitational influence today at 6:42 a.m. Eastern European time. According to NASA, this occurred as the spacecraft was approximately 63,000 kilometers from the Moon and 373,000 kilometers from Earth.
During this period, the Moon’s gravitational pull exerted a stronger effect on the spacecraft than Earth’s. In the coming hours, Orion is expected to approach its closest distance to the Moon, reaching a distance of approximately 7,500 kilometers. From this proximity, the four-member crew – American astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman, alongside Canadian astronaut J.
– will have a unique vantage point. They will be able to observe Earth and the Moon simultaneously. Furthermore, the spacecraft will witness a solar eclipse as the Moon passes in front of the Sun.
NASA will continue to monitor the spacecraft’s trajectory and data throughout this critical phase of the mission.
